Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-01-13
The Senator in a Circus:
From the st. Louis Globe Democrat.l

A friend of John Kenna, the West
Virginia Senator, says that Zeb Vance
is not entitled to patent on campaign
speaking at circus. Last fall, so the
story goes, Vance and the circus struck
a North Carolina town at the same
time. The Senator persuaded the show
man that the people had turned out to
hear him speak rather than to see the
elephant. "You see," said Vance to
the Snowman, "I'm something of a cir,
Gus myself" The result was division
of time by which Vance got off his
political remarks to the crowd in the
tent, and the regular program followed
"When the question of removing the
capital from Wheeling to Charleston
was up" said Mr.. Kenna's friend, tive
had a red-hot canvass. Kenna was foI
Charleston, and he took the stump with
Col. Romerio Frier. They made their
way from place to place up the Kama
wha valley, but the people didn't re-
spond as they hoped. One night, after
a particularly hard days work, Kenna
said: Col. Frier, unless we can get
up something new we are done for
"'That's what l think said Frier,
gloomily.
"Kenna sat with his feet on the table
and a Wheeling stoga between his
teeth, thinking. All at once he said:
Colonel I've got it. noticed to-day
by the paper that circus is billed for
Huntington on Saturday and is going
through the State. Well go down
there and make an arrangement to trav-
ell along with the show and deliver
short speeches under the tent just before
the performance. The circus will bring
those old mountain foxes out of their
holes ifanything WILL
"'I'm with you,' said Col. Frier.
1.-THE two politicians made better
arrangement than they had at first con-
templated. The novelty of the thing
struck the Snowman where he was at
home. He fixed up program like
this: After the grand entree and caval-
cade Frier was to be introduced and to
talk 10 minutes. THE wonderful per-
forming war elephant Pilot was to fol-
low and that act was to be succeeded by
the beautiful queen of the flaming
zone in her UNPARALLELED feat of riding
an untamed mustang bare-backed
through hoop of fire. Then Kenna was
to make his speech, being presented by
the clown. The clowns introduction
of Kenna was one of the telling points.
He did it after this fashion:
''Ladies and gentlemen, old and
young, without regard to race, color, or
previous condition, I am about to intro
duce to you Mr.. Kenner, the brag
young orator and coming statesman of
your thriving State. He is self-made
man. AS ploughboy he ploughed
corn on these rugged hills, barefooted,
bareheaded, and, 1 say it proudly, in
his shirt tail, until he was 16 years of
age. His hands are as horny as leath-
er. He can strike fire from the flint
rock with his heel. His well-shaped
and intellectual head defies the hottest
rays of a July sun. His constitution is
as tough as yonder rhinoceros in the
cage to the left of the band wagon. His
voice is like the African lions. His
eye as piercing as the American eagles.
In his movements he is quick as the
mountain fox, and his disposition is as
mild as the dying swans. Hear him,
ladies and gentlemen, and bear in mind
that the performance is not yet half
over.'
"Then Kenna would speak. WE'LL"
he continued, "Wheeling hadn't any
show against such a campaign as that,
and Charleston got the capital.